


Lost Things

by DramaticalHearts (dancingwithdestiny)



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-15 11:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4605012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingwithdestiny/pseuds/DramaticalHearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lost things. Found things.<br/><br/>Lost things remind us of the things we've lost, the things we may lose in the future.<br/><br/>Found things remind us of the things we never want to lose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Things

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to [coolangelsthesis](http://archiveofourown.org/users/coolangelsthesis/pseuds/coolangelsthesis) for looking this over for me!

"See you later, Koujaku!"  
  
Aoba turned and took off in the opposite direction, deliveries to make.  
  
Koujaku made to turn around too, when he heard a small _click_ , of something small hitting the pavement.  
  
He turned, and looked down. When he saw it, his eyes widened. It was one of the buttons from Aoba's favorite jacket!  
  
"Aoba!" he called, picking it up. When he looked up he saw Aoba just out of earshot, slipping on his headphones and rounding a corner.  
  
Koujaku sighed, shoulders slumping. He would just have to hold onto it until he saw Aoba again after work.  
  
He took the button, and, looking at it for a moment, then placed it just under his clothes, right under the loosened edge of his chest wrapping. He could've put it in his pocket, but there was no telling whether he would get into a Ribsteez fight between then and now. That and...it just felt right. It would be easier to remember it this way, he told himself.

When he was certain it was secured, he sighed softly, and continued on his way to work.  
  
~  
  
Koujaku was about halfway through his line of customers. He felt he had fallen into his usual rhythm, until one customer began being particularly difficult.  
  
"Can you go faster please? There's a lot I need to do today," the woman said, fidgeting a little.  
  
"Oh? What do you have planned?" Koujaku asked, patient as always.  
  
"My best friend's wedding! It's tomorrow, so I need this done so I can get the rest of my arrangements made!"  
  
"U-uh," another woman interjected - this woman's other friend, Koujaku gathered. "Isn't the wedding today?"  
  
"WHAT?" the woman seated exclaimed. "No! It's on the twenty-ninth!"  
  
Koujaku froze.  
  
"But today IS the twenty-ninth!"  
  
The seated woman's eyes widened as she hurried to check her Coil. She gave a small shriek.  
  
"Oh my God! Koujaku-san, please hurry! Koujaku-san?"  
  
Koujaku stood frozen, rooted to the spot, his hands stilled.  
  
The twenty-ninth of July.  
  
His mother's birthday.  
  
He hadn't realized the date. Hadn't looked at a calendar all month.  
  
He forced himself to move his hands again, but his movements were robotic, his mind a tangle of despairing thoughts.  
  
_She should be alive. She should be here. She should never have died. It was my fault. She'd be here if  I hadn't..._  
  
He swallowed back the lump in his throat.  
  
_Why do I go on? Why am I alive when she is dead, by my hands? Why do I even bother-_  
  
Suddenly he became aware of the gentle pressure of the jacket button against his chest. Smooth vinyl, warmed by his body heat, but still cooler than the rest of his clothing. Every breath he drew pressed it closer to his skin, as though reminding him again and again.  
  
_Aoba._  
  
He thought of Aoba's face, his smile, his voice. Of what he would say to Koujaku in this moment:  
  
_Don't give in._  
  
Koujaku drew a soft, shuddering breath, and lightly brushed the area where the button rested with his thumb. Then he recollected himself, putting his attention back on his client.  
  
"I apologize. My mind was somewhere else. Now, shall I just do a quick trim?"  
  
The woman gave a vigorous nod, and Koujaku returned to his usual pace, his shoulders easing.  
  
~  
  
Just before sunset, Koujaku, finished for the day, headed over to Heibon to wait for Aoba to finish his shift.  
  
His timing was just right, for as soon as the shop was within sight, he spotted Aoba walking down the street away from it.  
  
"Aoba!" Koujaku called, an easy smile on his face.  
  
Aoba perked up, spotting Koujaku, and sped up to meet him.  
  
"Koujaku," Aoba greeted, smiling in return.  
  
Koujaku lifted his hand; he had pulled out the button from its holding place earlier. "Here, you lost this."  
  
Aoba gave a small gasp. "I was wondering where that was!" He took it from Koujaku's outstretched hand. "I'll have to sew it back on later...or I'll have Granny sew it on for me, ahaha...I've never been good with a needle and thread..."  
  
Aoba slipped it into his pocket. "I should've fixed it sooner, it'd been loose for a while. I thought it was gone for sure!" He looked back up at Koujaku.  
  
"Thanks for picking it up. You're a lifesaver!"  
  
Looking at Aoba's cheerful, relieved smile, Koujaku softly sighed, and gave a fond smile in return.  
  
_So are you._

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think Koujaku's mother has a canon birthday, so I gave her my mom's~  
>   
> Also, fun fact: This was inspired by a conversation between [Sammy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/coolangelsthesis/pseuds/coolangelsthesis) and I about my mini Aoba plush's jacket button coming off, and how I gave it to my mini Koujaku plush for safekeeping. :3


End file.
